Fox's Illusion
by Yojimbra
Summary: Learning from his past mistakes, Kurama takes the intiative with Naruto and formulates a plan to be rid of his newest vessel. He will create a human form and have the boy fall in love with her, so he desires her and her freedom. Naturally, once free, he plans to eat the foolish monkey. But things don't always go as planned.
1. The Plan

Kurama awoke when the first crack in the seal formed. It was just a narrow crack that would let out but a few droplets of the hurricane. Previous experience with seals had taught Kurama much, no matter how much chakra was funneled through the crack - while it would widen - the process would take far too long to be a way of escape.

The host he had tried this method on died of old age. It was a slow and obvious plan.

His second container he tried to lash out and rage. That only resulted in him being bound tighter than before, while he did escape it was only with outside help; and only then to be thrust into the servitude of another. That might be the one thing he hated more than being sealed, being controlled.

No, he had learned from his mistake. This time he would use the crack to learn about his pathetic container.

A tendril of chakra acted as his window into the mind of his host. All he would need to do was simply touch the monkey's mind to fully understand him. Such was the gift that the sage had given him all those years ago.

At first, he had been offended by his father's gift, Shukaku had received a shield of sand, Chomei a set of wings to fly, even Gyuki's ink had seemed a greater boon than to know the emotions of men. Yet in the years since the ability had become a reliable asset.

Kurama let a low rumble escape his throat as he felt the emotions of his container, this Naruto. The boy was young and already his life was dominated by an emotion Kurama knew all too well, loneliness. For a time his previous contain had felt this emotion as well, It wasn't as strong as his new container's but it had driven the wretched creature into the arms of that man.

The Isolation this container felt was almost as deep as the rage and hatred Kurama could muster, for he did not feel hatred and rage; he was their living embodiment. If Kurama's hate was a raging river that carved canyons, then Naruto's loneliness was an empty lake deprived of life. In much the same way Naruto wasn't simply feeling lonely. He was lonely. Only a few strands of hope prevented the boy from drowning in it.

Naruto would find and desperately cling to the first being that promised him salvation with feelings of love and adoration. Kurama simply needed the right bait for the job and Naruto would do anything for him.

He studied Naruto closely, knowing the boy's desires for love and friendship, and his hatred towards the nine-tailed fox. The little ape had the audacity to blame him for his solitude; as though it was all part of Kurama's grand plan to make Naruto reviled by society.

A woman would be required for this plan and a delicate hand. He would have to be careful and lure Naruto in. Make it seem like setting her free was Naruto's idea.

Kurama separated a portion of his form and began to craft his puppet with great care and time. It would need to be perfect, it needed to be convincing that this was not just a mask the Kyuubi was wearing to trick Naruto. No, it needed to look like it could be the Kyuubi and yet keep a certain weakness that monkey men found attracting.

Kurama examined his creation in a dry humor, it was only a first draft and still lacked much. But he felt pride in it even now, perhaps there was something to what those mortals referred to as art.

"Now what is to be the name of this form?" Kurama asked his minuscule creation as though it would speak a name. He gave a long dark chuckle as the name came to him. "Ahh yes, Shuujin for I have always been and always will be a prisoner."

Now all he had to do was wait for his container to come begging for power.

XXXX

Naruto pushed himself off the wet ground. For a moment he wondered where he was. Then he felt it that subtle pull dragging him forward towards the Kyuubi. The walls were made of rectangular slabs of concrete and a dozen corridors split off from the one he stood in.

And yet only one called to him.

"Stupid, pervy sage, shouldn't there be a better way to teach me this jutsu than by throwing me off a cliff!" Naruto sloshed through the ankle deep water, feeling the cold textureless walls as he did. Part of him knew that he shouldn't be resentful to the man that was willingly spending so much of his free time training him. But cliff diving was not a sport Naruto was fond of.

Still, he had to admit it was working.

The gates that held the Kyuubi inside him were grand in scale set with thick heavy bars that melded into the floor and ceiling. A thick seam down the middle gave the illusion that those doors could ever be opened. Yet for all its ornate design a simple piece of paper with some squiggly lines on it acted as the lock.

Naruto walked up to the cage, it seemed empty of life at first only chains that coiled around the center in a spiraling nest where there should have been a giant fox. With a tentative hand he touched the massive gate; his body tight ready to leap away from the gate at a moment's notice. And yet nothing happened. "Hello?"

She appeared among the rattling of the chains, sanguine, hair licked by flames cascaded down her back in a tangled mess. Her slender body was covered by white linen cloth, nine shackles clung to her like iron jewelry; each was connected to a chain so that even the slightest motion would cause them to rattle. She was bound twice on each arm and leg, one bound her neck - so large it she could barely move her head.

But it was her look that captured Naruto. Her eyes sent a clear message: she would weather this storm and any that would follow it. Long since stripped of the fat of zeal, pride, anger, and malice only a cold hard defiance stood in isolation. The caged lion that would not be cowed.

"Are you the Kyuubi?" Naruto swallowed, regretting the way his voice shook with each word. He had been prepared for a giant terrifying fox that would be threatening to eat him; not a woman with a dangerous beauty that made him stutter.

She let out a laugh, akin to the purr of a lion. With their eyes still locked she stalked forward atop the chains. They were her jungle and would not a sound would be made unless she willed it. Seconds passed as minutes until she came to the bars of the cage, she looked down at him; the lion eying a mouse. "If I were not would you release me?"

"No!" Naruto answered quickly. The woman raised a slender eyebrow broken by a faint scar and Naruto was at long last able to break her gaze. He looked instead to the chains that bound her, there were nine of them. "I mean it doesn't matter you're sealed inside of me so you have to be the Kyuubi!"

"Then why pray tell did you ask the question you already knew the answer too?" Her voice carried the weight of centuries.

"I just," Naruto tried to explain why but he met her gaze and the words died in his throat again. "I was just expecting you to be the Kyuubi, ya know, a giant angry fox and threaten to eat me."

That low laughter so akin to a lion's purr resonated from the woman again. Her emerald eyes sparkled with amusement. "Well then my little warden, behold my true form in all its glory."

Naruto found it easier to hold her gaze that time, he found himself getting lost in her eyes as they seemed to twinkle. "If that's your true form why does everybody say you're a giant fox."

"That is the form I take when I fight or am angry, It is only natural those that saw me would grow to fear it."

"Oh, that actually makes sense."

"Now tell me, my little warden, what brings you to visit your lowly charge?" The Kyuubi gave a bow in humble mockery. "Am I to be released early for good behavior?"

"I have a name you know!" Naruto stomped his feet and did his best to glare up at the Kyuubi, though he expected it was more like a kitten glaring at the lion. "My name's Naruto! You got that Kyuubi? Naruto!"

"I have one as well." She returned his glare with an amused smile so faint he barely saw it twitch, the first time her mouth had formed anything but a hard line. And Naruto had never felt so foolish in his life.

"Your name's not the Kyuubi?" His mouth moved without his consent.

She nodded her head despite the iron clasp on her neck. For the first time, he heard the chains that bound her rattle like a thousand snakes hissing in danger. The sound was deafening as she closed the distance between, she looked ready to and able to pass through the bars of the cage. Just as she approached the gate, the chains snapped taught. "No, the Kyuubi is what I am, but it is not my name."

Again the words seemed to escape him without his consent. This wasn't at all what he had expected. Where were the teeth? The yelling the demands? The only thing that reminded him of a fox was that laugh of hers that made his hair stand on end. "What is your name?"

"Shuujin, for I have always been and always will be a prisoner." The words carried an honest resentment in them. A deep longing for freedom that had long since had the flames of hope diminished so that only a candle remained against the darkness of reality.

Naruto could feel like he was drowning in waves of despair that crashed down upon him. This woman had spent thirteen years stuck in a dark place like this - inside of him no less -, there had to be something he could to make it bearable. Had he been trapped in a place like this he would have gone crazy after the first day. "How long have you been sealed?"

"Of the past two hundred years, I have been free for a month, and never more than a few days at a time before some other monkey bound me to their will."

Guilt strangled Naruto then, he couldn't imagine that amount of time just doing nothing. an hour of boredom felt like an eternity for him!

"Now Naruto," She purred his name like the rumbling of gravel that made his entire body stand rigid. "What is it that you are here for?"

Oh yea, he was currently falling… wait how was he not dead yet? Ehh not important. "Oh right! I need you to give me some of your chakra!"

The amusement in Shuujin's eyes died and a sudden fury blazed in their place, shifting from green to red in a heartbeat. Those were the eyes he had expected to the Kyuubi to have. Ones filled with rage and hate. "How can I give what you have already taken from me?"

"What?" Naruto took a step back suddenly fearful that the chains would not be able to hold her back. A wave of guilt threatened to drown him as the desperation and resentment. "What do you mean?"

Her heated glare that threatened to burn his soul in hellfire diminished to a dagger of ice so cold its cuts would freeze him. "This seal drains my chakra and feeds it into you, I have no say in what you can or cannot access."

"I… then why… I" Naruto swallowed hard, that meant that he didn't need to be in here begging the Shuujin for her chakra and that he still had no idea how to access it. He was pushed off a cliff for nothing! "Then how do I use it?"

"Have you tried thinking about me?" The ice had melted and amusement blossomed in her eyes once again. There was something about her tone that made Naruto's cheeks warm and his stomach knot.

"No! But I will! I promise!" He didn't know why he was promising it just slipped out without a thought. "I... would it be okay if I come visit you again Shuujin?"

"See that you do, it's rather boring in here without a guest." She gave him a truly tender smile at his words, verdant eyes twinkled with gratitude and satisfaction.

Naruto gave her his best smile and a thumbs up before he simply vanished.

XXXX

When his unimpressive jailor had left Kurama let out a deep chuckle like that rumbled like a rockslide. Each grunt shifting his form growing larger and more ferocious as he shed his skin of Shuujin and returned to his glorious original form. Complete he let out a roar that shook the seal.

His eyes trailed to the spot where his jailor once stood and had to suppress another bout of laughter. It was all going to plan. Naruto was no questioning what the Kyuubi truly was, and would be back with questions.

His plan would not come to fruition for a few more years, but he could see its end. "And when I am free my little warden you will be the first I devour."

 **AN: New project! yay! No beta for this fic, though I did comb over it a few times myself. Hope its up to my usual standards.**

 **I have pending updates for Hokage's Bride, and A Thousand and One Dreams not that anybody cares about that one. I also have a Persona 5 fic going that will be updated when ever I want to write pure fluff.**

 **Anyways let me know what you think! I think I'll get started on chapter two of this :D  
**


	2. The Talk

Jiraiya's snoring caused the very earth to tremble, or at the very least the small room they shared. As much as Naruto wished that was the reason why he was unable to sleep that wasn't true. For over a week he had to fight to get to sleep, recently it had gotten even worse. And it was all because of her.

He had told Jiraiya about Shuujin, and why wouldn't he? Jiraiya knew about the Kyuubi already and Shuujin hadn't told him not to tell anybody. The pervert had stressed that if the Kyuubi was freed that Naruto would die and that if he didn't die the damn fox would eat him anyways. It was just trying to trick him, and there was no way in hell the beast was female let alone human.

Naruto didn't know who to believe, on the one hand, Jiraiya was smart when he wasn't acting like an idiot and Naruto both liked and trusted him. But he wanted to trust Shuujin, he could see it in her eyes; she was just as lonely as he was, maybe even lonelier. At least now he had other people, like Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, and Jiraiya. And all she had was… him.

In many ways it reminded him of Gaara, he felt drawn to try and pull her out of the pit of solitude that she had made her home in. But how? She was a demon and had been sealed for well a really long time.

There was just so much about her being sealed that he didn't know. Like why she attacked Konoha in the first place, and who was she sealed in before him, and why was she sealed, and and and and. There were too many questions he needed to ask her. If only he could just walk into his seal whenever he wanted. Shame there weren't any cliffs nearby.

Jiraiya seemed to know a lot about seals, maybe he would teach him how they worked. Maybe he could do something with the seal to make going in easier or maybe make it less boring in there for Shuujin. Or get rid of those chains. "If the Pervy-sage says no I'll just use my Sexy Jutsu on him."

Naruto twisted in his bed pulling the cover tight around him. With a huff, he focused on trying to sleep. He glared at his pack leaning against the wall for no real reason, he synced his breaths to Jiraiya's snoring out of boredom.

He blinked with hopes that it would the final time he shut his eyes that night.

When he opened his eyes he found himself within the seal once again. Still dressed in his PJs and clinging to his blanket Naruto stood up from the wet ground surprisingly dry. Without his jacket to protect him, the air inside the seal bit with a sharp coldness. Had it been this cold before?

Wiping the sleep from his eyes Naruto wrapped his blanket tight around his shoulders and sulked forward, sleep threatened to claim him with every step.

XXXX

Kurama wanted to swear at that damn insolent brat. Sure he had told the little idiot to come whenever but didn't humans have a damn sleep schedule! If Naruto saw him now the entire plan would be in jeopardy!

Kurama grunted as he shrunk down into the form of Shuujin. It felt like he was squeezing his entire being into a bottle. He was meant to be as big as possible and covered with fur, able to make men piss themselves with a glance. Not tiny, naked, with only a bit of hair on her head.

Worse of all he felt so damn weak in this form. It would take years to destroy a mountain with limbs like these. Hell the opposable thumb that the monkey's prided themselves on weren't even that much better than his own. His had a claw sharp enough slice through a tree.

His tails turned into the chains that bound his human form just as Naruto entered his field of view. The boy looked ready to pass out dressed with the blanket draped over his shoulders like a cloak. Kurama liked the boys sleeping cat for it was doing what he could not eat the brat's head.

Kurama gave an involuntary shiver when he was completely in his human form. Damn thing was so cold he could see his own breath. With careful posturing, he folded his arms to look disappointed, even if the real reason was to keep at least slightly warm. Damn hairless monkeys.

He glared enviously at the blanket that Naruto had as the boy sat down in front of the cage with a yawn that stunk of ramen. "Good night Shuujin."

"D-did you really come here to wish me good night?" He had to keep his teeth from chattering even as he glared so hotly at the boy that the water around him may very well come to a boil. Oh, he was going to do more than eat him. He was going to eat the brat, spit him up after a few months, eat him again, and again for thousand lifetimes!

Naruto snapped awake at his momentary stutter. He stood up and unwrapped the blanket around him. With no fear or respect, Naruto offered the blanket through the seal. "Are you cold?"

Kurama glared at the blanket with and abundance of mistrust. Humans had once sought to give him many things all finely made and expensive, but those had been tributes out of fear in hopes to buy off their destruction. Never before had a human offered him anything out of... kindness? "Won't you be cold then?"

Naruto shrugged with the smack of his lips, he acted as though the action would suffice for an answer for just about anything. "I can leave; you can't."

The bitter truth of the boy's words was easy to swallow wrapped in the kindness of his tone. Suppressing a growl and the urge to lash out and swat the insect where he stood Kurama accepted the blanket and quickly wrapped it around her shoulders. The coldness seemed to vanish instantly. "Why are you here?"

The brat had the balls to complain about not being thanked for the sacrifice of his blanket. A calculated glare from Kurama broke that spark and Naruto sat down on the ground. With complete lack of respect, Naruto gave a loud yawn and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. "I told Jiraiya about you."

Stupid big-mouthed idiot, couldn't keep his goddamn mouth shut and had to blab to some other stupid monkey. A monkey no less that was dampening Naruto's loneliness. Kurama needed that loneliness for his plan. Oh, when he got out here he was going to make whoever this Jiraiya was and crush his throat… and then the rest of him.

Kurma let out a deep breath and brushed a strand of hair from his face. Anger right now would only make things worse. Nor could he dismiss Jiraiya's words as false without forcing Naruto to feel conflicted. No, he had to be careful and play the role of the misunderstood and wrongfully imprisoned woman. "I see what did he have to say?"

"He said that you were lying."

This was true.

"That you're just pretending to be a woman."

Also true.

"And that if you get out you'll eat me."

Another truth.

"And you're doing all this to get me to let you out and if I do that I'll die."

Damn this Jiraiya was going to become more troublesome than that blond bastard that saved Kushina from despair. Wait a moment. Oh, the delicious irony. How had he not seen it before? He should have felt it when he first woke up. Naruto was their son. He could feel her chakra everywhere.

He could use this; he'd have to be careful with how he gave the information and when knowing that it his father was the Fourth Hokage could hearten the boy against him. Or for Naruto further into his hands out of spite for the suffering his father had inflicted on him. No… the risk was too great. Kushina on the other hand, his old container may yet prove useful.

"And do you believe him?"

"I… kind of, yea." Kurama wanted to scream in frustration and bloody murder. To say that he desired to rip the fool that was disrupting his plan to shreds and then set those shreds ablaze in the hottest flames was a dire understatement. "But I also want to trust you."

Kurama's icy fury was replaced by a blossoming curiosity at the boy's words. So Naruto wanted to trust him. This was good. This was very good. Kurama allowed his delicate female form to speak for him and simply arched an eyebrow.

The subtle motion was enough to make Naruto jump into alertness, sleep temporarily banished his being. "That's why I wanted to ask you some questions!"

"Very well, ask and I will decide whether or not to answer you." And more importantly how to answer. Kurama let out an exasperated sigh.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak twice before he managed to form a single word. Kurama could feel the fear the spun about him like a whirlpool ready to pull the blond under in any moment. Then at long last a moment of courage banished it. "Why were you sealed into me?"

"Before you, I was sealed into a woman," Kurama began with a softness in his feminine voice that shocked him. Had he not been the one speaking, he would have believed its sincerity. "The seal tends to be weaker during a woman's pregnancy, so when she was pregnant I did try to escape."

She heard Naruto gasp no doubt coming to his own conclusions. Damn, if only he had more time to think out how to say this.

"But it was not through my efforts alone that set me free that night."

"Wait? Somebody let you out? On purpose?!" Naruto seemed shocked at the fact that anybody would be crazy enough to set the terrifying Kyuubi free.

"Yes, and as I was about to thank him for his kindness the bastard Uchiha saw fit to take control of me." Kurama did not try to suppress the growl that boiled up from inside him. For once the emotions of Shuujin and his own were aligned. "After that, the rest of the night is a blur to me, and the next thing I remember is waking up sealed inside of you."

"Uchiha? Like Sasuke?"

Who the hell was Sasuke? No doubt another leech sucking away Naruto's loneliness. And it was an Uchiha to boot. If he could have Kurama would have wiped the clan from the face of the earth. But the fewer Uchiha there were the stronger the clan was. "Yes, that clan has always had the ability to control me so that even when I was free I was often bound to them."

"Ooooh," Naruto pretended to understand. An awkward minute passed between them as Naruto formulated his next question. Then at long last just as Kurama was about to prompt him his dimwitted container asked the question he was hoping for. "Your last container, do you know her name?"

"Kushina Uzumaki." The words hung in the air, Kurama could feel Naruto's hopes cling desperately to the name, This was a piece of who he was a truth he had wanted answered for years. It would have been so easy to crush the boy's hope and send him into a rage by simply telling him that he had killed her. With his own claw, he had ended the wretched woman's life. "I believe she was your mother."

Naruto's hand drifted towards his stomach right above the seal. "So, you were sealed in my mom?"

Kurama gave a wordless nod. He brought the blanket in tight around him and wrapped it around his face to hide the smile that was beginning to spread.

"Did you know her?"

"Not really, she hated me, even going so far as to make my seal tighter." In reality, Kushina had tried to talk to him frequently, largely with complaints about him making her hair grow. Why on earth would he waste his chakra to make her hair grow? Certainly, it was a shade of red that Kurama was fond of, it partially inspired Shuujin's hair.

Kurama's "truth" seemed to weigh heavily on Naruto disappointment evident on the face of the fool. With a sigh Kurama smacked his lips, now all he had to do was direct that negative emotion elsewhere. "Be that as you may, why not ask your Jiraiya about Kushina, if he's so knowledgable about me then he surely must be familiar with her."

"That's a great idea Shuujin!" Naruto shot from his feet with a giant smile on his face. "Oh man, now it's going to be impossible to go to sleep! Gah, I'm going to have to wake that pervert up! When I get out of here! Oh thanks for telling me about her, I still have a lot more questions for you so I'll be back later."

"Try not to come in the middle of the night."

Naruto only grinned at her.

XXXX

Long after Naruto left Kurama finally exited the form of Shuujin. With a long yawn that would have been a roar had it been loud Kurama collapsed down into his resting position. Overall he would have to say that confrontation went rather well. Just a little more and Naruto would be on his side. "Foolish little human should never trust a demon."

The blue blanket that Naruto had given him rested on his nose. Why did it remain? How did it remain? Everything else Naruto had brought had vanished with the boy. "No matter, it is to my benefit."

With more care than he had ever given a man-made object - or any object for that matter - Kurama placed the blanket safely in the corner. Naruto would appreciate that he had taken such good care of the gift.

 **AN: Hey look a quick update! I rather like this fic. Still need a beta for it. But anyways! Here's the 2nd chapter! Next update is probably for Hokage's bride,**

 **Protective Instincts is temporarly on Hiatus because of Beta reasons. I kind of refuse to post that with out having a beta for it.**


	3. The Blanket

That blanket wasn't a gift. It was a clever curse bestowed upon him by that wretched little monkey. Oh certainly it was innocent enough, and it did provide a minuscule amount of comfort and warmth - as was its intended purpose no doubt. But the vile blue napkin had it out for him!

Whenever he turned his eye from the blanket, it would cling to some new and impossible part of his body like static. Each time he would awake the damn cloth was sitting on his nose like a stain of blue, then when he removed it the damned thing would glue itself to his ears, tails, paws, eyelid. Eyeball!

Worse still the despicable fabric had tried to slay him several times so far, the first attempt had come when he was mid-yawn; the blanket took its chance and leaped into his throat clogging his airway and strangling him. The battle lasted for what seemed like several days as Kurama tried to desperately remove the blanket from his windpipe.

He had tried to destroy the blanket - it was a simple enough matter to recreate a similar item for his human form so long as it was connected to his body - but the damn thing was indestructible. No matter what form of destruction - shredding, fire, consumption, Tailed Beast Ball - Kurama used against it there was not a scratch on it.

The damn thing was more of a rival than any of his brothers or even that damn First Hokage and that bastard Madara.

Kurama pounced onto the blanket and glared down at it. He snapped at the vile blue cloth that was barely fit to be used as his napkin. "Tell me does your master know of my plan? I will have answers from you!"

"Shuujin? Was that you?"

Kurama stiffened. Was the brat here? Now!? So the blanket was protecting his master! There was absolutely no way in hell that he was going to lose so soon! He had to think of something, ahh yes! The blanket!

"Damn you Hashirama!" Kurama shouted out in the voice of Shuujin. His form shrunk and diminished, twisted and contorted, morphed and modified into the form of Shuujin. The transformation would take time, more time than he had, Naruto's sloshing was getting close.

Kurama dove under the blanket his form just small enough to be concealed. "Madara you will not enslave me again."

XXXX

Naruto smiled as he found himself back within the seal. He was kind of getting the hang of this whole thing now. At Least that was the lie that he had told himself, and it surely had nothing to do with the fact that he had just knocked himself out trying to perform the Rasengan.

A terrifying roar echoed through the corridors of the seal, muffled words were lost in the volume of the roar. "Shuujin? Was that you?"

He picked up his pace and sprinted towards Shuujin's cage.

"Damn you…." Shuujin's voice carried through the hulls like the earthen growl of a rockslide. Instead of her voice growling louder, it seemed to diminish with each step he took towards her.

He saw the blanket he had left her rustle on her nest of chains. Wait, how was that blanket still here? He had woken up with that blanket in the Inn, how was it still here? Could he take other things into here?

"Madara," Shuujin mumbled her voice constricted by sleep. Beneath the blanket, she tossed and turned as though she was assaulted by a nightmare. "You will not enslave me again."

"Shuujin, wake up!" Naruto slammed his fist against one of the bars that marked the boundary of the seal. The entire structure rang like a bell for a few seconds.

The blanket stopped moving for a few moments, then Shuujin popped her head out, her red hair tangled in a greasy web of thick strands, her face shimmered with sweat. She wiped the sleep her eyes, an act that made her look impossibly cute.

"Naruto?" Shuujin asked stifling a small yawn, she looked at him with half opened eyes that seemed ready to switch to a glare at any moment. Like she hadn't decided between greeting him or having him for lunch. "Why are you here?"

His head pulsed in pain to remind him of a headache that was no doubt waiting for him once he returned to reality. "I uhh wanted to see talk to you again, do you nap often?"

Shujin gave him a small nod and stood to a more dignified posture. The blanket he gave her clung to her body like a warm hug and; Shuujin returned the hug like it was life or death. "There's not much else to do in here."

"Oh, right!" Naruto rubbed the back of his head in shame. "I umm, were you having a bad dream?"

A blush formed on Shuujin's face and her eyes narrowed. No way did he just embarrass the Kyuubi? He might not have been the one to defeat her, but Naruto Uzumaki the Hokage that made the Kyuubi blush had a nice ring to it.

"It wasn't a dream." Shuujin's head snapped to the side like a viper striking. She glared off into the distance a frown marred her features. "It was more reliving the past."

Naruto gave Shuujin a sympathetic frown of his own, nightmares of the past plagued him on occasion as well, though they were often mixed with things that could have gone horribly wrong. "Do you want to talk about it?"

A deep laugh more akin to the growl of a lion escaped from Shuujin. She pushed her hair behind her ear and gave him a withering look, her lips a hard line. "It was merely an old battle, nothing you need to concern yourself with."

Naruto tapped his foot on the ground and groaned, if Shuujin didn't want to tell him about it then there wasn't a lot he could do. Wait something seemed different about her. He could see her bare neck! "Hey what happened to your collar?"

"Huh? What?" Shuujin's hand flew to her throat where she desperately searched for an iron clasp that was no longer there. She bit her lip and looked to the side her eyes kept darting to his. "I umm, well, perhaps it vanished because you gave me a gift and you don't think of me as much of a prisoner as before?"

"Whoa! That's awesome! So if I bring you more stuff will the rest of your chains disappear?" Naruto ran in place excited by the possibility. It was a small thing but he could actually do something for Shuujin, all he needed to do was bring her copies of things from the outside!

Shuujin gave a shallow sigh, a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips, her verdant eyes twinkled with a spark of joy and life. "It is possible but-"

Just like that Naruto vanished.

XXXX

Kurama remained in the form of Shuujin for three days, he had never felt so contained. Even Kushina's veil seal that had him crucified to a giant boulder had allowed him to maintain his true form.

He hated being contained in this diminutive body! Still, a temporary bit of extra confinement would well worth it should he gain his freedom.

If only his damn container would make his mind! The brat had an impressive amount of drive when he put his simian mind to it. Even now Kurama could sense Naruto's frustration at not being able to appear before her.

Which is why he had remained as Shuujin, he had already one close call and that was one too many.

"I just wish that damn brat would be consistent." Shuujin stretched out on the cursed blanket like a cat. She extended her body to the maximum if only to try and feel slightly larger. She brought her hand down to her neck and felt the bare flesh there. It had been a simple oversight that she had forgotten to manifest the shackle around his neck and yet it had proven to be for the best.

Worse was now that one was gone he wanted to remove the rest, they suddenly felt heavy and scrapped her flesh raw. Oh, she knew that she could easily remove them in a heartbeat, but what would Naruto think if he saw her unshackled? It would ruin a chance to encourage Naruto to fall in love with her.

Flopping onto one side Kurama glared outside of the seal. "Where is that damn brat!"

As if on cue Naruto appeared, directly in front of the cage, midway between the ceiling and the floor. The amusement of the brat landing on his face was lost when Kurama realized the truth of the matter.

The brat had appeared in direct line of sight without warning. That meant that he would be crammed into this pathetic shell all the time, less his entire plan fall apart due to his impudent containers whims. His freedom was almost not worth it.

With a groan Naruto pushed up from the ground, He had a bag which's contents had spilled onto the ground not even disturbing the water on the ground. It looked like books. "Oww, I really need to work on that landing, why the hell did I appear in the middle of the air."

"Exactly what I want to know." Shuujin stood and rolled her shoulders before she draped her blanket across her shoulders. The act seemed please Naruto as a large smile broke out on his face, he was so easy to please. "If you're going to come by you could at least let me know."

"I thought you said to come whenever." Naruto crossed his arms and glared at her. "Besides It's not like you have a doorbell or anything! And why does it matter?"

"Don't your human females normally demand some form of privacy?" She pushed her hair and sighed. So much for being able to get some form of warning system for when Naruto wished to appear before her. "Regardless, what do you have there?"

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head in a way that could almost be considered cute. Fortunately, such human emotions were lost on her. There was no reason for her to consider him cute in the slightest. Besides he was weak and stupid, little more than an insect that stood between her and freedom. "Oh! Right, I've been carrying these things around for ever trying to bring them in here!"

Shuujin had to hide the smile that appeared on her face, the brat was going this far for her already? She'd have her freedom in no time. "Oh, are they for me?"

"Yea! I kind of wanted to see what was possible! But I'm happy that this stuff came with me, I'll have to find some way to bring the futon in here though." A futon the brat wanted to give her an actual place to rest? Shuujin was actually grateful at the thought even if it was fruitless.

"So what did you bring?"

Naruto scrambled around picking up the numerous book he had dropped. Each one was unmarred by the water they were submerged in. "Yea, you always said there was nothing to do and because I can't always be here to talk to you I got you some stuff to do!"

"So you got me books?" Shuujin stepped towards the seal with a raised eyebrow. The last time he touched human literature was an eternity ago and only to make certain that he could actually read. He didn't see the point in the exercise, nor did he understand how humans could get enjoyment out of random symbols.

All random symbols ever did to him was seal him inside of things. No Kurama didn't trust anything worded piece of paper.

"Yea!" Naruto shouted excitedly and marched up to the seal the bag brimming with ill stacked books. "I got you all kinds to in case you have some that you like more than others. Like this one, it's a manga I like to read, and then there's this one that's about a traveling merchant and a wolf god. Oh, I got you some romance to because of girls like that kind of stuff right, so I thought you might like it too, and I also got you the Pervy-sage's book series, because well they were free for his student. Honestly, it's more books than I've ever owned."

Shuujin took the bag, it was surprisingly heavy. "Oh, there's something else in here."

"Oh yeah, there was an art sale so I got you a painting thingy and some drawing stuff." Naruto smiled brightly at her. "It might be a little crooked though, the shopkeeper gave it to me for free because it was slightly busted"

His father had spent a great deal of time painting before he left. A smile pushed itself onto her face without consent, this time she made no effort in hiding it. "Thank you, Naruto."

Naruto laughed and scratched the back of his head, a brilliant smile on his face that rivaled the early morning sun waking her up from her slumber in its annoyance and brilliance. "Hehe, no problem."

"So how long does it take for the chain to vanish?" Naruto asked with his mouth slightly open ready to reply to her answer.

"Oh!" Shuujin jumped slightly, she had forgotten about that detail. "It uhh takes a few moments, I didn't really notice it when it first happened."

With but a thought Kurama undid the shackles on his right arm. He was about to undo the left arm when Naruto spoke up.

"Aww man, looks like I'll have bring more stuff in next time!" Naruto stomped his foot. "I wonder how many will get removed if I manage to bring you that futon."

Shuujin bit her lip and spared a glance at the shackles that rubbed at her arms. For a place to sleep, she could bear with them a few days more.

 **AN: Hi! felt like getting chapter out today. Sorry if Kurama's Shuujin's pronouns are confusing when from their point of view, they're going to randomly switch for a while for artsy-fartsy reasons.**

 **Anyways, I'll be working on Hokage's bride.**


	4. The Book

Perhaps there was something to the human practice of literature; though it was with great reluctance that she had first picked up one of the books. Only a combination of boredom and a mild curiosity that was nothing more than a drop of salt in the ocean of her infinite boredom.

She had tried to paint as her father once had. But the images she created only served to infuriate her. She wanted to paint herself in glorious triumph in her magnificent true form! She knew how she wanted it to look but her hands wouldn't make it happen. Oh how she loathed painting.

"Why does she simply not tell the man how she feels? It is evident that she desires to continue with him," Kurama mumbled rolling onto her back to get a better view of the page. Even in their stories the humans rarely made sense. Yet she did find a bit of commonality with this wolf god.

There might be something to having humans worshiping you, shame it was too late to convince the monkeys she was a god.

She rolled again, unable to get comfortable on the hard ground of her seal. "Damn it Naruto, where's my Futon?"

XXXX

"Why are you carrying that Futon around?"

Naruto would have thought that somebody would have asked that question twenty minutes ago when he showed up carrying a large awkward Futon on his back. Instead they all just kind of looked at him like he was crazy. Well That's how Sasuke looked at him, Sakura just looked at him like he was stupid.

Kakashi didn't seem to care until he asked the question.

"Oh," Naruto shifted the awkward weight on his back slightly. "Uhh strength training?"

"Hmmm," Kakashi mused as though the thought held merit. "Excellent idea Naruto, today we'll be doing strength training."

"Should we go get our futons Sensei?" Sakura's voice dripped with sarcasm so thick it could be seen hanging in the air like a fog of hidden intent. She glared at Naruto like he was a leperos corpse bent on spreading his idiocy to everybody.

"Another good idea." Kakashi sounded like he didn't even know if he was serious or not. "Sasuke, Sakura, help Naruto carry the futon around we're going to be working on your team work today."

In the end they ended up carrying Kakashi around on the futon while he gave lazy orders and read his book.

XXXX

"Naruto." Sakura panted out as she flopped down on the futon opposite of Naruto. Her voice was filled with venom. "If you ever bring a futon to training again I'm going to shove it up your ass."

"Yea, it probably wasn't my smartest idea." Naruto rolled his head to look at Sakura. Kakashi had pushed them hard and somewhere along the way Sasuke just left.

Sakura let out a light chuckle. "It wasn't your dumbest either, which says a lot about you because this idea was pretty stupid."

Naruto couldn't even disagree with that. He didn't want to go to see Shuujin without the Futon, she looked so happy when he told her about it. "Hey Sakura?"

An annoyed grunt was her reply. Evidently she was intent on taking a nap.

"What do girls like?"

"Not you." Sakura's tone was as dry as a desert. "But I suppose that's just me, who are you trying to impress this time?"

"Uhh it's complicated." How on earth was he supposed to tell Sakura about Shuujin! Let alone anybody else, Kakashi would just do the same thing Jiraiya did. "But like just girls in general."

Sakura gave a deep sigh and shook her head. "I suppose explaining that girls are all different and that no girl like everything that another girl likes, but honestly nobody would complain if you brought them some food. "

"Food?"

Sakura nodded. "Yea, like sweets if she likes sweets, just find out what she likes to eat."

XXXX

"Humans."

Naruto stared at Shuujin trying desperately to read her face for any sign that she was either serious or joking. It was an unreadable mask of stone. "Are you serious?"

The slightest bit of a smile appeared on her face. "That was what you humans call a joke."

"That was a horrible joke!" Worse was that her smile was actually really cute. Like really really cute. Cuter than Sakura's laugh even.

Shuujin offered him an unapologetic shrug as she relaxed down onto her blanket. "I don't really eat, so I don't really know what I like to eat, and honestly you humans taste cross especially with your armor it was far to crunchy."

She wasn't smiling as she said that. Oh lord she was serious she'd eaten a human before. "Do you know how you ate?"

"Some ninja from the lightning place. They were inside me for like six months before I puked them up." She placed a hand on her slender stomach and pushed up a bit of the bandage revealing her navel. "I might actually be allergic to humans, they gave me a horrible stomach ache."

"You're not joking are you?" Naruto asked banging his head against one of the columns to the seal.

"Hey, they attacked me, and they walked away afterwards so they got off lucky I guess." Shuujin grabbed one of the books and bound towards him in a way that reminded him of Konohamaru. She flipped open a page to the book and pointed. "See here, if you want to get me something I would like some of these."

"An apple?"

"Yes!" Shuujin gave a slight nod. "If a wise wolf god would find delight in eating an apple then I would as to."

"You do know that's not real right?" Naruto asked slowly Shuujin was acting a little weird. She almost seemed happy.

She rolled her arm and tucked the book under her arm. "Of course I know it's not real, but I enjoy the character we're a lot alike, tell me Naruto have you read the books?"

Naruto shrugged, they hadn't been removed from their bag since he bought them. "I'm not really a reading type."

"Well then I demand that you read these books! They are wonderful and I wish to discuss them with somebody. And because I'm stuck in here that somebody is you. So go get me some apples and go read."

"Okay, okay, what book are you on so I know when to stop."

Shuujin turned to him with her verdant eyes as wide and deep as the night sky. "There's more than the one? Why didn't you say so I've read this one three times already!"

XXXX

Had he known that Humans were capable of finding tails and ears attractive he probably would have included one - or nine - when he created Shuujin. However at this point it was just another lost opportunity, though there was the chance that Naruto would not find tails attractive.

Shuujin sat up, knocking the books that she had left on her stomach to the ground. Honestly she had created her body to be loosely based off of Kushina, at least appearance wise. In terms of what she had wanted out of a human body she had succeeded, long red hair, lithe yet powerful form, but she had no idea if the alterations she had made to the form could be considered beautiful. "Come to think of it, what does that little idiot look for in a woman."

The boy was attracted to females wasn't he?

"Damn, brat why can't I pull you into the seal when I need to talk to you?" Shuujin pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a low grumble that sounded so similar to a growl. The worse part about it is that she found herself enjoying the little time she could spend with her ward.

the books had only made her realize how much she hated being lonely, it was a void that had been there for so long that it had become a part of her. And now that she had tried to actually talk to one of the apes, that pit was slowly filling in. Bit by bit, word by word, Naruto was curing her solitude.

A feat that hadn't been done since her father.

"Shame the brat will have to die for my freedom." Shuujin rolled onto her side and frowned at her bag of books. An unfamiliar warmness fell graced her cheeks. With a huff she grabbed the blanket and rolled up in it tightly. "Stupid brat."

A snore like two frogs having a sumo match appeared in the chamber bouncing off the walls until it echoed like a warm summer's night pond.

Shuujin went from laying down to running so fast she didn't do any of the motions in between. She pressed her hands against the cage and looked out into the room before her. On the other side of the room was Naruto, asleep on a futon with a book covering his face and a bag of apples in his hand.

The bedding looked comfortable. She'd finally have a place to sit, sleep, and do other things on! Oh how she was going to relax on that thing. "Hey Naruto! Wake up!"

Her ward only snored in her general direction.

"Fine then, if that's how you want it." Shuujin began to take in a deep breath, expanding her lungs to the maximum and beyond as she willed her lungs to their original size. Her mouth grew feral extending into her canine form. Then with all the might of a hurricane Kurama shouted, "Wake up!"

Naruto jumped his resting spot and over the back of the futon. Moments later he peered over the side of the bed looking around frantically. "Shuujin? How did I get here?"

Shuujin could only smile and shrug, as if she knew what on earth the seal allowed and when it allowed it. Damn thing was woefully inconsistent. "No idea, maybe you were dreaming about me?"

"What? No! I wasn't I swear!" The blush on Naruto's face only made his lie more obvious and his whiskers more pronounced.

"Oh, that's a shame because I was just thinking about you." She gave him the satisfaction of a small pout, that turned into a soft smile. "I was just wondering when you were going to show up with my Futon and, well, here you are."

For a few awkward moments they struggled trying to get the furniture through her seal. Once inside Shuujin removed the last two chains on her arms so that only her legs were bound.

The bed was as soft and fluffy as she imagined. It was as though she was resting upon a warm fluffy cloud, twice she rolled around it finding the optimum place to rest. At the apex of comfort she stopped and swaddled herself within the blanket like a newborn.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so happy."

A sudden awareness that her cheeks hurt from smiling, paired with the simple acts of kindness Naruto had shown her made Shuujin want to bury her head within her new bed even more. "I've never had a bed before, so i'm genuinely happy you gave me one. Thank you Naruto."

There was no doubt about it, she The Nine-Tailed fox was happy. Even when she had freedom she had never felt the emotion only a few moments where anger and rage were opposite. And yet here she was sitting on a bed that a human had given her positively delighted.

"Hehe, you're welcome Shuujin, I'm glad you like it." Naruto scratched the back of his head a giant smile on his face.

"Say, Naruto, would you consider me attractive?" Naruto recoiled as though she had just hit him with a hammer. Shuujin bit the inside of her lip as she watched Naruto try do recover from the question. Was this a desired response? It was certainly akin to the merchant whenever the wolf god said something brash.

"I guess you're kind of pretty." Naruto mumbled his cheeks aflame.

Shuujin smiled, that would do just fine.

 **AN: bit of a cracky chapter I suppose, but we get a bit more character growth from Naruto and what ever the hell Kyuubi's name is. Also a bit of fluff.**

 **See you next chapter! Think I'll work on addiction later tonight.**


	5. The Dream

It felt so good to be free of his female body if only for a short while. After what seemed like months he had finally been able to determine when Naruto would not come bother him, it just so happened to be in the middle of the night when the blond was in a deep sleep.

With a yawn that turned into a roar and back, Kurama stretched his entire body out feeling his usual enormity. Oh, how he couldn't wait to escape from this accursed seal and finally run towards the horizon, laying waste to every village along the way.

Kurama's paw knocked against her futon, sending the collection of books Naruto had gotten her onto the floor. For a moment Kurama simply stared at his mess, the mood was completely ruined now. "Dammit, now I have to reorganize those."

Folding his massive paws over each other Kurama glared down at his mess. She had spent hours organizing those books by which ones she liked most and which ones she needed to read first, and which ones she needed to reread. "Maybe I'll spare a village if they give me all their books."

At first, reading had been nothing but something to pass the time. Just something to do in between Naruto's visits. There was only so much scheming, brooding, and plotting one could do. But reading, reading was something Kurama could do for ages. It was a hobby he would take to his freedom. Unlike painting.

That foolish brush refused to cooperate with her, The image of him standing triumphantly over a ruined Konoha was so vivid in her mind that she could taste it. But the brush refused to paint it! He had tried several times to put the image to paper and each time it was naught but an ugly mess of reds, oranges, and yellows.

There was no point in painting if he couldn't demonstrate is awesomeness.

Kurama stared outside the seal allowing frustration and anger to wash over him like waves at the ocean. With a reluctant sigh he rolled over shrinking and compressing into the form of Shuuji, she didn't bother reforming the shackles that were supposed to be chained to her legs. They had started to hurt recently.

"I'll just tell Naruto that his kindness made them vanish, I'm certain that would make his day." Shuujin yawned fatigue setting in as she began to pick up her books. They weren't scattered about and maintained a loose organization, so it was quick to correct.

With a grunt, she flopped herself onto her futon and stared up at the empty blackness that was the roof of her cage. There was something to be said about her present life, there was a simple pleasure about living as a human.

As sleep began to cloud her mind she became aware of a tendril of Naruto's mind reaching down towards her. Awakeness surged around her. Apparently, Naruto's mind and her seal weren't as separated as she thought. Curiosity drove her to reach out and touch the tendril. It was Naruto's dream. Her lips twitched into a wicked smile. "Well then Naruto, let's make you love me."

She grabbed ahold of the tendril filling it with negative emotions, the tendril flared carrying the vile intent of betrayal, horror, loss, solitude, up to the core of Naruto's dreaming twisting it into a vile nightmare.

Then she pushed herself into the tendril and removed the stream of negative emotions. With any luck, Naruto would think that her arrival is what banished the negative emotions.

In the blink of an eye, sleep overcame her.

XXXX

The sky was burning, the clouds were blackened flames that cast dark shadows upon the lifeless land that filled the world. Despair and self-loathing were so potent that Shuujin could taste their bitterness. It was too much perhaps even for her.

This was Naruto's dream. No, this was the nightmare she had given him, a burning lifeless world, that made even her skin crawl. She hadn't expected to end up in his dream, yet despite the possibilities, this unlocked, regret flooded her mind. "I might have gone a bit too far."

The ground was covered in a viscous fluid that smelled like Iron, a horrible concoction of blood and tar, that roiled like ocean waves. At times it came to her waist as she trudged through the blood in search of Naruto.

She found him tied to a tree.

"It's all my fault," Naruto voice poured from his mouth like the vile sludge that was slowly rising up around him. He was but a broken creature awaiting a slow and inevitable doom. "They left because of me, this is all my fault."

Shuujin waded forward the blood was nearing her chest, and only getting deeper the closer she got to Naruto. It was nearing his neck now. A few more inches and Naruto would be lost beneath the sanguine tides.

Desperate, she lunged towards Naruto, her feet no longer touching the ground. The sea changed, no longer was it a simple body of liquid, it was a thousand hands grasping at her, trying to submerge her in the despair she had inflicted upon Naruto.

Her fingers touched the tree thought it was really burnt bodies twisted together into the shape of a tree. "What did I do to you?"

Naruto's head rolled over to her, his chin held by a jealous sanguine hand staining it a murky crimson. When he looked at her she had never seen such despair. In a weak voice, he managed, "Shuujin? Are you here to leave me to."

She bit her lip hard enough to break the skin. If Naruto's suffering was to mean anything then she had to be careful with the words. "No Naruto, now that I'm here I'll never leave you. that's a promise."

She pulled his arm free of one of the restraints, then the other.

Like a caged beast suddenly released Naruto attack Shuujin, pulling her down into the waters with him as he grappled her waist and pressed his head into her chest.

They hit the ground hard. The world around them shifting in tone in the blink of an eye, the blazing sky turned clear and blue, the corpse tree a towering tree in full bloom. Green grass swayed as though the blood-tar sea was never there.

Everything was beautiful, this was what she had destroyed. A beautiful peaceful dream.

"I had finally become Hokage," Naruto choked out. He squeezed her tighter. "Then everybody started to leave saying it was all my fault."

Shuujin barely heard Naruto's words, she had never been hugged before. Not even by her own father. The sensation was unusual, but not unwelcome. As they laid there with Naruto sobbing into her chest Shuujin brought her own arms around Naruto and returned the hug.

Such a shame her freedom meant his death.

XXXX

Naruto shot up from his bed, his breath was heavy and short, his entire body was moist with sweat. That dream felt way too real, his heart was beating harder than it had when he fought Zabuza or Gaara.

The thought of all of his friends abandoning him was too much to bare. He had been alone for so long.

"now that I'm here I'll never leave you. that's a promise."

Shuujin's voice sounded with such clarity that he had to turn to make certain she wasn't behind him. Why was she the one that came to save him in his dream? It was her words that ended his nightmare. It felt so real, well not feel real, but the feeling felt real.

He needed to talk to Shuujin right now! Did she feel his nightmare and come to rescue him? Or was it something else. Either way, he needed to talk to her about it. "Okay, time to-"

A loud knocking came from his door. "Naruto! You in there! We got a mission, Sasuke's been taken by Orochimaru!"

That was Shikamaru's voice.

Naruto's throat went dry, His nightmare was becoming a reality. Shuujin would have to wait.

XXXX

Naruto's turmoil was but a summer shower compared to the blizzard that raged within Shuujin. Her footfalls splashed loudly as she paced before the empty canvas chewing on end of the brush.

A human had hugged her and lived. What's more, she had enjoyed the hug. It felt… it felt… It felt like when her father had patted him on the head once. Except completely different.

What's more is that she had gone out of her way to ease a mortals suffering; suffering that she had caused and It wouldn't even hurt him in the long run. Yet she had relieved it, her the incarnation of anger and rage had undone misery she had willingly inflicted.

Because she regretted it.

Finally, she had come to a revelation that did not set well with her at all. She did not want Naruto to die.

When he was free to rain destruction on the land he had slaughtered hundreds of humans without a thought, they were nothing more than insects to him.

"There has to be someway for me to be released and Naruto to live." The very fact that she wanted this went against her nature. With a scream, she brought her brush to the canvas and drew a line of crimson on the blank canvas. The line didn't offender as the other ones once had.

One of her books had claimed that true art came from the heart.

"I'd still gladly kill the brat myself if it meant my freedom." She spoke the words but they failed to ring true to her. There had to be someway for her to be freed and Naruto to retain his life. Hell, if anybody could live it would be Kushina's son.

When he had been set free all those years ago hadn't that woman managed to survive up until he ran his claw through her gut. Even then Kushina refused to die right away. It was impressive really.

Shuujin glared at the single red stroke on her empty canvas, and added another; layering it upon its previous. She had no idea what she was painting but again, the two lines pleased her. They were only the beginning of something.

In a heartbeat, Naruto's storm grew into a Monsoon that rivaled Shuujin's blizzard in intensity.

"Something's wrong." Shuujin began to pace once again, extending her mind outwards towards Naruto. Betrayal, desperation, sadness, all fueled into a growing tornado of rage. He was fighting, he was losing.

He was dying. She could already feel his life force fading. "You damn idiot! Did I say you could die!"

With a roar, she summoned her chakra and pushed it into Naruto feeding his rage and anger.

She hoped it was enough.

"Fantastic," Shujin mumbled glaring at the seal like it was the vilest thing ever. "That damn brat has caused me to grow a damn heart."

 **AN: Slightly shorter than average but the next scene wouldn't feel right without a bit of a break. Also, note that yes this is the Sasuke fight, and yes it is happening off screen.**


	6. The Trip

"Fuck."

Kurama glared at the painting that had taken over a year to complete. It was a self-portrait. Of him… her? Shuujin? It was the first thing that she had created that caused… him? To feel pride.

Within the small frame was what Kurama had desired for years. Freedom, blue skies and shining suns, green grasses and beautiful trees. To for once be unbound. But it wasn't him that was in the painting. It was her; It was Shuujin.

Placing both paws over her snout Kurama let out a deep breath, she wasn't even aware she was holding. For the longest time, he had been he, simply because that's what other had assumed of him.

It had made sense for the longest time as well. Men were considered strong, leaders, and powerful. Things that Kurama was. "Do I even have the right to choose?"

What did it even mean that she wanted to be a female? Who would even care? The only opinions she valued were of her fellow biju, and that was only a very small value, and Naruto's. And he already thought of her as a female! "Besides! I'm a The Kyuubi who the hell is going to question me!?"

Brushing her loyal blue blanket off her snout Kurama stood to her full height. And began to shift back into her human form. Less troubling than her gender issues was that of her identity. Where she had once found Shuujin's form all too cramped, small, frail, and human.

Now, she actually preferred it. It was great for painting, reading, and just lounging about on her bedding. Grooming was more practical as well, she had hands that allowed her to easily clean her long red hair. Indeed her human form had many perks. But beyond that, she had grown fond of it.

She still preferred her natural form for fighting and crushing things, as well as scaring things. But the only things to crush within the seal were her things.

There was no way she was going to crush her books!

"Now all I have to do is decide what to paint next." Kurama flopped down onto her futon, her loyal blanket appearing beneath her. She gave a long stretch of her lithe female body, just barely long enough that she could touch the head and foot of her bed. She curled back in and felt oddly at peace.

She closed her eyes feeling oddly peaceful. If Naruto wanted to talk to her he could wake her up. She gave a long lip-smacking lawn. "Or he could come back some other time."

XXXX

"Why won't you teach me though!" Naruto whined after Jiraiya stomping his feet with every step like he was a ten-year-old. Which he wasn't. He was fourteen now that was basically an adult. "You used a seal when you fought Itachi didn't you? To make that black fire stuff go away! What if Sasuke learns to make that black fire?"

Jiraiya snorted at the thought. "That was after the fight you brat. Not during it. Trying to seal something in the middle of a fight is more than I can do. Besides if you wanted somebody to teach you how to seal you should have asked Tsunade she has more experience with them than I do."

"Well I'm not in Konoha now am I?" Naruto crossed his arms and gave a long heavy frown. "I just want you to teach me the basics and then I'll figure it out from there."

"Yea because that's worked so well for you up until now," Jiraiya muttered loudly. "Look Naruto, my main goal for this training trip is to get you ready for when Akatsuki comes after you. Your goal is to bring Sasuke back to the village. To do both of those we need to get your stronger and remove your glaring weaknesses. Which for the most part is correcting what you learned on your own from the basics."

"But didn't my mom fight with seals? And the Fourth?"

Referencing his mom always had an effect on Jiraiya, like he could never just ignore that he knew her. He still couldn't squeeze anything about his father out of the pervert. This time Jiraiya gave a long sigh and stopped walking. He ran a hand through his wild white hair. "Listen Naruto."

Jiraiya trailed off for a moment as he stared at the road in front of them. He shifted on his feet and looked behind him - past Naruto - to the long town that sat on the edge of the horizon. He gave another deep sigh and started to walk again. "You're already more like your mother than you know, you don't need to fight like her."

"But wasn't she a super strong ninja?" There was so little that he knew about his mother. It was just one more reason to learn how to seal, besides figuring out a way to let Shuujin out without him dying. It didn't even have to be forever if he could just let her take over a shadow clone everything would work out!

"Yes, she didn't use seals in the middle of a fight, and there's no way for me to teach you to fight like her because I didn't teach her. Besides you don't have the chakra chains." Jiraiya picked up the pace going from a leisurely stroll to a power walk.

"How do you know I don't have chakra chains?" Naruto asked picking up the pace to look Jiraiya in the face. "What are chakra chains?"

"Trust me you don't have them. I checked. And they're chains made of chakra your mother used them to fight and seal at the same time. Normally you can't do both." Jiraiya picked up the pace again. "And they won't help in a fight against Sasuke or Orochimaru."

Naruto caught up to him. "I'll make them useful; teach me!"

"I said no."

They were running now.

"Please! Just teach me how to use seals, I'll even use my sexy Jutsu the whole time!" Jiraiya came to a dead stop. Naruto spun to a stop expecting to see a lecherous smile on his teacher's face. Instead it a deep frown that made Naruto's stomach drop.

"This is about the Kyuubi isn't it?"

Naruto swallowed. "She's not a bad person."

"She?" Jiraiya groaned placing a hand on his head like he just got a massive headache. "She! Ha, you do know how many people that Fox has killed right?"

"That wasn't her fault! Shuujin was being controlled by some-"

Jiraiya cut him off grabbing Naruto by the shoulders. "That beast kill your parents Naruto, I saw Minato's and Kushina's body there was a."

Naruto found himself lost in a sea of uncertainty. It… It made sense. Everything came to him with a sudden clarity. "Minato." He tasted the whisper to find it bitter and dry as a bale of thatch ready to be ignited with the slightest spark.

"Huh?" Jiraiya asked in confusion.

"Minato that's the Fourth Hokage's name right? He's my dad right?" Naruto asked tears were threatening to stain his eyes and his mouth shifted from a smile to snarl to frown in an endless loop as his face tried desperately to catch up with the maelstrom of emotions he was feeling.

He glared up at Jiraiya, who looked down at him with eyes laden with regret. The silence that followed was all the answer Naruto needed.

Naruto broke out of Jiraiya's grip and sprinted into the forest. He needed to be alone as badly as he ever needed food. He needed to punch something he needed to shout and scream and let it all out!

He needed to talk the one person that understood him.

XXXX

Kurama awoke when a wildfire of negative emotions flooded into her domain. Everything she could sense -fury, anger, sadness, regret, betrayal - was raging beside one another feeding off of each other to grow more and more by the second. For a few seconds, she worried if Naruto had somehow found out that she had been lying to him since they first met.

She could feel his emotions withering the edge of the seal, drawing power from Naruto's negativity. It would not be enough to break free. Especially if she wanted to keep him alive.

He walked into the room all built up like he had drunk one too many cups of coffee. He twitched and jerked glaring at the seal with every step.

It was so different from the Naruto she was used to, she didn't like it either. "What's wrong Naruto?"

Her blond warden looked at her for a moment and sat down cross-legged. He stood back up immediately. "I… did you know?"

Shuujin gave a sigh of relief that was disguised as a snort of ill humor. He didn't find out that she had been lying to him, that was good, at least he wasn't upset at her. "I can't read minds Naruto tell me what's wrong."

"The Fourth Hokage was my dad wasn't he?"

"Oh." Perhaps he would be mad at her after all.

"I had my suspicions," A lie, "but I had no reason to assume he was your father," Again a lie.

"Why didn't you tell me about him?" Naruto looked ready to fight like he really needed to punch something.

"I didn't want to upset you." Another lie. "How did you find out?"

"Jiraiya said that you killed my parents and he said his name next to my mom's," Naruto grumble, he moved closer to the seal, close enough that had she wanted to she could hit him with her claw. "When I asked him if it was true he didn't say anything."

"I… I thought he died sealing me, I didn't think I actually killed them." A lie. A bold faced lie. She remembered all too clearly those desperate moments where she tried to kill Naruto before she could be sealed inside of him only for his parents to jump in front of her to save Naruto.

The act of self-sacrifice had stunned her. How could two strong shinobi just throw their lives away for a newborn child? Two pangs of guilt clenched at her heart, one for the continued lies she told Naruto, and another for the truth.

"I'm sorry." Carefully she extended her hand through the seal, ignoring the numbing pain that pushed back against her with every inch. She held her hand out to Naruto.

"I know it's not your fault." Naruto took her hand, his words nearly made her want to vanish beneath her blankets. How on earth did she get stuck with such a trusting and kind container? Why couldn't she get some vile asshole that she wouldn't have a second thought about murdering?

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you're my container," Shuujin whispered, sitting down along with Naruto, still holding hands with only the seal between them.

It was her first time touching him, humans were oddly soft and yet also rough at the same time. And Naruto's hands were warm. He squeezed her hand tighter. "I'm happy I met you, and don't worry Shuujin I'll find some way to set you free and kick the ass of whoever took control of you."

Kurama bit her lip and nodded gratefully that Naruto wouldn't be able to see the tears that were forming in her eyes. It was the first time a human had made her cry. What would her father say about this? "Thank's for being my friend Naruto."

 **AN: Hello! hey look Kurama decided on a gender. In my original draft of this story I had originally planned for it to be more subtle and just slowly replace the pronouns I used for her. But there were some complaints about clarity so I had Kurama decide that he was a she now. Also hey look! Feels!**

 **So side note, Update speed for this fic is going to slow down. Mostly because I'm a greedy bastard and like to get 100 followers every time I post a new chapter. It's not a requirement or anything, but I do still like it when I have that kind of a stat. I'll still post regularly, and I want to put a bit more focus on finishing up Hokage's bride and growing Head Space.**

 **Speaking of which next update is for Head Space give it a look! basically Inner Sakura joins Naruto on his training trip!**


	7. The Truth

A final stroke of red marked the painting as complete.

It had taken longer than her first painting, with every single line, color, shade, and contrast demanding perfection. But the demand for perfection was not what had kept her from the painting. No, it was what the painting represented that kept her away.

At first, it was a morbid curiosity that kept her going. But as the image in her mind and on the canvas became clearer; she grew to fear it. It was so unnatural to everything that she was as the Nine-tailed Fox. As the fear waned a recent determination overtook Kurama that forced her to continue the painting.

And face the truth.

The painting was of her, of course, and Naruto. In an intimate embrace, their naked body's hidden by the other. Faces close enough that they had just shared out a kiss or were about to. Desire was visible in both their features. She had known for a long time that she was in denial about this and the feeling just like the painting was clear long before the painting was finished.

She wanted Naruto to love her; not for any scheme or plan to gain her freedom; but because she loved him. At Least she thought she did, love was a foreign strange thing to her. Yet all the feelings she felt were just like those in her books. When she let her mind wander it drifted towards him, and she would smile.

"This is all you fault." Kurama glared down at her pile of books. The infernal things were no doubt some form of human brainwashing that caused everybody to feel. Why else would she be feeling these things? She didn't feel anything but rage until she started to read books.

"What would Naruto even think? Oh hey, I know I'm a demon sealed inside of you, but I love you." Knowing him, he'd probably try even harder to set her free and then kill himself in the process.

And if he rejected her…

Kurama shook her head causing her red hair to flutter around her like leaves in the wind. "He'd only do that if he knew the truth."

The truth about who she was and what she had done. She wasn't some misunderstood creature, no most of her crimes were her own that she made the choice to commit. Such as murdering Naruto's parents.

If he knew the truth how would he act? From what she knew about Naruto he would surely have tried to win him over if she let him try. But to find out that she had been lying the entire time to gain freedom. He would probably hate her.

"Which is why I should tell him!" Kurama snapped her fingers as she walked around her bed, well on her way to digging a rut into the ground. "If I tell him then he'd forgive me for being honest and probably feel happy that he could change me."

She spun on her heel and reversed directions. "But I shouldn't ever let him know. We could easily be happy if I keep the secret to myself. Nobody would ever know and I'd only have to keep it until I was sure that he loved me and then when I tell him he'd just laugh."

"Or I can never tell him, humans don't live that long." That made Kurama's blood freeze. Naruto would eventually die. And she would live on through countless generations. It was no different than when the wise wolf god fell in love with the merchant. But how could she learn to move on?

Did she even want to?

Kurama fell forward onto her futon and buried her head into the pillow. She let out a long primal roar that did not belong to her current body. "Emotions suck! Life was much easier when I hated everything."

She flopped onto her back glaring up at the endless blackness that was her ceiling. Some terrifying beast she was, having her trap reversed so that she fell in love with her container. "This is all his fault. He just had to be… Naruto."

Worse was that he was taller than her now, just by half an inch and it was her own fault for not making herself taller. His body was becoming that of an adult, in a few years when he was an adult she'd have to look up to him.

It'd be the first time she looked up to anybody in a long time: the prospect excited her. She didn't know if it was Naruto growing to be more attractive, or her growing attracted to him. In recent months she would find herself picturing her and Naruto as characters in her books. The closeness, the holding hands, the hugging, the dating, the kissing.

Oh, the kissing. Just the thought of it made her lips tingle. She placed a finger to her lips and smiled. "I have it bad."

"I have to tell him." She needed Naruto to understand how she felt. Everything else would come later; be it the truth with her lies and her plan, or more lies. It didn't matter so long as Naruto understood her feelings.

"I'm going to tell him," She reaffirmed, walking to the bars of her cage to wait eagerly for Naruto show up, he had a knack for showing up when she really wanted to talk to him.

XXXX

Naruto inhaled sharply as he stared up at Sasuke for the first time in three years. This was it he was finally going to bring him home.

"Sasuke." He heard Sakura gasp next to him. Just the sound of his name sent a shiver up his spine.

The world change abruptly around him. Turing from the ruined lair of Orochimaru to the familiar seal of Shuujin. He hadn't even been trying to enter the area this time, the timing was bad too.

"Naruto!" He turned to see Shuujin smiling at him from behind the seal. It brought him no small amount of joy to see her smile. At first, it was a rare thing that he cherished, even now as she smiled more and more its value had not diminished. Her cherished smile turned into a frown when she his serious expression "Is now a bad time?"

A shallow chuckle like the rattling of a snake tail. "So this is what you have inside of you?"

Naruto spun to see Sasuke standing next to the seal.

"Uchiha!" Shuujin growled her eyes turning into sharp daggers of molten fury. Her hair seemed to stand on its own like tendrils of flame.

Sasuke laughed again. "Oh, has the Nine-Tailed Fox tricked you? Well then let shatter the illusion."

Shuujin died in that moment. Her body boiled with the chakra that she claimed she had no control over, growing and deforming into a monstrous blood red fox of bubbling red mist. And then it solidified revealing the Kyuubi in all its fearsome might.

He could feel its chakra seeping out from the cage in waves as it's rage boiled over. Jiraiya was right. Jiraiya had been right from the very beginning. Shuujin was just an illusion, and this was its true form.

"You damn Uchiha!" The Kyuubi's roar rattled the air as its malicious hate filled chakra rolled out from the seal like billows of smoke. It gathered in the air forming a massive claw and swung down at Sasuke. "You're ruining everything!"

Sasuke dodged the strike with ease, without breaking eye contact with Naruto. "You always were a loser."

Naruto barely heard the insult. His mind still reeling that the woman he had come to trust more than anybody and had become his most important person was nothing but a lie. He swallowed feeling his throat dry with painful cracks.

"I'll kill you!" The Kyuubi roared with venom. Slamming its form against the cage with enough force to make the bars bend. "I was so close you pathetic insect, how dare you ruin everything I worked so hard for! Do you have any idea what this means to me?"

The Kyuubi's vile chakra swirled around Naruto's feet feeding into him and fueling his anger. He placed a hand over his heart feeling it break over and over again, crumbling into nothing but a sandstorm of rage.

With a roar that shook the heavens, Naruto returned to reality, feeling the Kyuubi's hateful chakra Surge through him. He saw Sasuke and Orochimaru smile. He barely had time to look at Sakura before it overwhelmed him. "Run."

XXXX

Kurama pressed her face into her pillow. It had been days since she last saw Naruto. But she felt him. Oh did she ever feel him, like a beacon of negative emotions. All pointed towards her. Everything was roaring at her so loud that she couldn't ignore them. Her ability didn't have an off switch.

She examined her human hand, there was no point in the form anymore. Naruto had found out about her plan, he had seen her true form, seen her use her chakra. "All because I can't control my anger."

She had lashed out against the Uchiha screaming blood rage once he shattered her illusion. And yet it wasn't an illusion, this form was more than that. She wanted this to be her true form. If it had been from the start. If she hadn't been created as the Kyuubi, but born as Shuujin. How much would have been different?

She felt Naruto's anger at her spike and then die down as despair and heartbreak sat in. A low groan turned into a growl as she wrapped her blanket around her tighter, trying desperately to shut out Naruto from her mind.

"Why can't things just be simple?" She blamed the Uchiha. Not just the damn Uchiha brat that Naruto was obsessed with but the whole entire family. Everything that was wrong with this world was because of them.

Naruto's anger rose again and it struck a nerve within her as well. She spun upwards, her destructive desire's surging from deep within her. With a flick of the wrist, she flung her futon into the fall wall where it shattered into a shower of splinters.

Her form grew more ferocious by the second slowly becoming that of her true self. The being of ultimate destruction that was her true nature. With a thought, her pile of books erupted into ashes the ones that didn't burn she shredded with fang and claw. "If Naruto wants me to be a demon then I will show him a demon!"

In her growing demonic form she took the blanket that Naruto had given her in her jaw and thrashed it about wildly causing rips and tears to form, what ever had made the blanket indestructible be it Naruto's, love, his hope, his kindness, no longer held sway over the blanket as it was shredded to ribbons.

She crushed the first painting of her human self under her foot. Again and again, she crushed her massive paw down onto the painting. "I will never! Show that form again!"

All the love and hope she had been feeling, the joy and the happiness, collapsed thrusting her further down into a massive pit of despair that blasted her with powerful anger and hatred. She hated Naruto for making her feel like this. Hate, hate, hate, hate!

She turned her attention to her most recent painting, where Naruto was holding her in a lovers embrace. Her rage flared brighter than an exploding sun. With a furious roar, she sought to rain down her hatred upon the object. But stopped.

The anger vanished; regret flooded in. her claws mere inches from impaling her painting. It reminded her so much of the night she killed Naruto's parents. Even now she felt the sting of that moment. The moment she made Naruto's life a living hell.

With a huff, she laid down in front of the bars, now aware of the tears that had been falling from her eyes for a long time now. "I never asked for this."

 **AN: Oooh Drama bits. The original draft of this chapter had a Confrontation between Naruto and Kurama after the Sasuke fight, however that would make the pacing awkward for future chapters. More angst and drama next chapter.**

 **I'll be updating Head Space soon, so go give it a look.**

 **Also, watched Little witch academia, anybody want to read a Crossover where Naruto is a teacher and has a romance with Professor Ursala?**


	8. The Storm

Anger, rage, despair; rivers drawing from an endless spring of regret. What had once been her hopes and dreams were now bitter and foolish memories that gnawed at her every thought like a ravenous dog searching for the marrow of her desires.

Not a breath went by where Naruto was not on her mind; a thousand relieved memories, a thousand scenarios that could have turned out so differently if she had only known, and a million fantasies that ran counter to reality, like staring at the sun from the bottom of a well they only served to show how far she had fallen.

Worse still was the immense feeling of self-loathing that tangled the shores of her emotions making things like happiness as scarce as water in the desert. And made it twice as vital for survival.

With each day she could feel her mind slipping into that feral savage beast bent only on destruction. Her only saving grace was the painting of Naruto holding her. Her final ray of hope of a desire that felt so core to who she was that its loss would mean the loss of everything that she was.

And Kurama was unwilling to give that up.

She did not want to go back to the un caring beast that only cared about its own survival.

XXXX

Naruto stared up at the ceiling. He had tried so hard. So hard to become stronger. So hard to ignore Shuujin and focus on the here and now. He had thrown himself into this training, it was the only time he was able to not think about the Kyuubi and its lies.

Part of him always knew that it wouldn't end how he wanted it to. That Shuujin wasn't human, and even if he set her free she wouldn't want to remain with him anyway. That he was fooling himself by falling in love with her.

And now that Jiraiya had been murdered by Pein, the world seemed to be filled with grey. Yea sure, Shikamaru's help did give him the drive to go training with the old toad sage. But he had to admit he had the selfish desire to avenge Jiraiya.

To have the one person that actually cared about him taken from him, just after another person he thought cared turned out to be a giant fox that was lying to him to gain freedom was almost too much to bear. He knew there were others, Sakura, Tsunade, Iruka, Shikamaru and the rest of his friends all cared for him. But they just made the hole left by Jiraiya and Shuujin more evident.

"I should go talk to the fox." He really didn't want to but, the creature was interfering with Fukasaku's ability to help him maintain sage mode, or even start it.

Slipping into see Shuujin had become as easy as falling asleep. But now, to see the Kyuubi, it was like a once clear path had become shrouded in a dense fog that clung to him like damp cigarette smoke. The Kyuubi was trying to keep him out.

With a sigh he was inside the seal, stumbling forward from a mild run.

"What do you want?" A monstrous voice like a rock slide echoed from beyond the seal. The fox lay behind the bars, covered in a blanket of shadow so that only could be seen glaring at him with all the spite and hatred in the world.

Naruto squared his shoulders and tried not to let the hope that Shuujin was somehow still in their bubble to the surface. He still wanted her to exist, he still needed her. But she was a lie. One he found himself wanting to believe. "I want you to stop attacking the Old Toad when he…"

"No." The Finality of the statement left no room to argue. The Kyuubi would not budge on this or anything. The hatred felt like a blast of air from a burning furnace. Shuujin never had a voice of silk and honey, her's was a warm breeze before a summer thunderstorm.

The booming sound of tension silence the room as both of them stood their ground unable to move forward or backward from this moment. Neither one of them would give the other so much as an inch.

"Did you kill my parents?" His words less than a whisper were louder than thunder.

Red eyes narrowed at him from behind their veil of shadows. A snarl came out like a laugh. "Yes, but I wasn't aiming for them. You were my target brat I knew that they were going to seal me within. Your parents threw themselves on my claws to protect you."

Another chuckle shook the world like the crumbling of a mountain. "I'd like to correct that statement. You see I didn't kill them, no everything that happened that night. My escape, the Uchiha taking control of me, all of your precious ninja that I killed in a blind rage, and the death of your parents."

"Shut up." Tears flowed freely from his face, this was a mistake. He should never have come down here. The Kyuubi had done nothing but torment and tease him since they first met. He clutched as his heart imagining Shuujin saying those words.

They cut him deeper than any blade could.

"It was all you." The Kyuubi continued each word like a punch to the gut. "If you hadn't been born, all those foolish humans would still be alive, your mother, your father, how many people died because of your birth brat? I wager it might be close to how many I've killed at this point. Including your precious Jiraiya."

"I said shut up!"

Naruto shot up in his bed staring at the inside of the room the toads had given him. His entire body was soaked in a film of sticky sweat. The Kyuubi was right. If he hadn't been born, how many people would still be alive?

XXXX

Kurama gasped as soon as Naruto left the seal in tears. She fell to her knees crying as the illusion of her fox form shrouded in shadows dissipated. Of course, Naruto would show up the moment she let her guard down. The moment she sought a few precious moments of freedom that was the curse of being The Kyuubi.

"Why?" she wheezed out slamming her hands down into the shallow water around her. She beat down onto the floor with anguished screams of fury and self-loathing. "Why do I keep hurting him?"

She couldn't stop herself. Her rage and anger took over and she only wanted to hurt him as much as she was hurting. To bring them to an even understanding but she went too far. She could feel his sadness devouring all other emotions around it.

"Why do I keep making things worse?" She stopped and slid her face along the ground breathing in mouthfuls of the water in a desperate attempt to escape from everything. It wouldn't work, it didn't work the last time, it wouldn't work this time.

With choked sobs, she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. She had accomplished her goal. Naruto was just as sad as she was now. But she had gone too far. "I want to die."

XXXX

When she next saw Naruto, his negative emotions were overflowing, having consumed every ray of hope and love in the boy's heart so that only a desolate host just waiting to die stood before her cage.

His hand was moving towards her seal.

"What are you doing?" Despite being in her true bestial form, her voice came out as Shuujin.

Naruto paused for a moment and gave her a smile, something that was meant to show joy was filled with so much sadness. "There's no point in living anymore, so you might as well go free if you can try to take Pain away from Konoha."

No, this was all wrong. Had she driven him to this? What had happened to make him like this? She could feel her chakra fueling into him feeding the rage that fueled his body while his mind was here devoid of hope.

His hand reached the seal.

"No," The rest of the words choked in her throat. She had to tell him she needed to tell him the honest truth before it was far too late. She didn't want to live in a world where Naruto used letting her out as a means to kill himself. "Naruto, I."

There was a flash of yellow and a man appeared before Naruto pushing him away from the seal.

Anger flared. Kurama vanished beneath the waves of her hatred as the Yondaime appeared before the seal. Part of her knew that this was her chance to right everything. But that part was vanishing like an Ice Cube in a volcano.

"I'll Kill you!" She thrashed against the Kage. Anger and hatred moving her without reason. "I'll Kill you again and again Yondaime! I will end your pathetic existence again."

The mad beast that Kurama once was in control now. There was no going back. The part of her that had been Shuujin, that had loved Naruto was now buried and forgotten. Never to see the dawn again.

Hatred and anger were easier.

 **AN: Short chapter because holy fuck I get mad when I write angst. Gets the blood pumping! Anywas I like this chapter. Hope you all do to.  
**  
 **(For those wondering this takes place just after Jiraiya dies up to the pein attack on Konoha.)**


	9. The Key

"What do you want?" The growl shook the very ground, the Kyuubi held still as a mountain holding back a raging storm. "Brat." The Beast added as an afterthought, the precursor of what was to come, it's voice dripped with absolute disdain.

Naruto stared at the mountain of fur and hatred that stood before him. His conflict with his dark self; those nagging thoughts in the back of his mind made real was still fresh in his mind. He had soothed the anger inside himself, forgiving the villagers, he had forgiven Nagato for killing Jiraiya. He could do this.

He could forgive The Kyuubi for breaking his heart. They might never be friends, he might never see Shuujin again. But maybe just maybe he could find common ground with the beast that Killed his parents. And all he had to do was beat an ancient raging inferno of hatred in a contest of wills.

Simple... Right?

"We need your help."

A low chuckle escaped from the Kyuubi as it glared at him. It's eyes filled with amusement burnt to cinders by its hatred and resentment. That laughter came to a sudden stop and a single word marked the end. "No."

"Guess we'll have to do this the hard way then."

He unlocked the seal allowing everything that the Kyuubi was to flow into his body. And all hell broke loose. The Kyuubi attacked, Naruto retaliated. All he would need to do was grab the beast's chakra and control it.

XXXX

Kurama smiled when she felt Naruto began to pull her chakra into him. It was too perfect. If Naruto couldn't control her chakra. Then she could control him. A thought that pleased her greatly.

"You think you can control my power?" She laughed mimicking Shuujin's voice. "You think you can handle my hatred?" Naruto twitched with each word spoken. "You can't even control your own hatred towards me."

"For tricking you."

"For making you believe that you had a friend."

"Oh, you loved me didn't you?"

"Yes, of course, you did. I was going to use your love to set me free."

"It was all a lie. A lie that you can't forgive."

Her taunts were working as her hatred infested Naruto. She had once thought that he was able to remove her hatred. But now she knew that that was just one of a thousand tricks she played on herself for her plan. To make herself fall in love with him so that he would fall in love with her. It was clever really, so very clever.

She could think of no better vengeance on the Yondaime and his wife than to corrupt their son. She had no intention of killing Naruto. No, once he was corrupted by her chakra she would control him and watch as he destroyed everything he once loved.

Except her: That part of her mind that still suffered at Naruto's discovery, that part that was still whimpering and cowering behind her rage, that part of her that knew love for the blonde, that demanded that her Identity was female, still desired Naruto.

Every action she took now to harmed Naruto wounded herself just as much. It would be easier if she simply killed the blond brat. She could learn to live without him and his infectious false hope and happiness.

"You will be mine Naruto!" She growled out as he was submerged into her hatred. She could feel him slipping. The control he had gained of his own negative emotions could do nothing against her centuries of hatred.

"Quit being such a bitch Ya'know." A familiar voice called out, and chains of chakra leaped out from Naruto's chest, stopping her corruption and binding her to the ground.

"Kushina!" Kurama growled and thrashed against the chains. "Come out here and face me!"

"Mmmm, no, I'd rather talk with my son. See ya grumpy fox."

Kurama could do nothing as she watched Naruto's anger vanish. He wasn't sending back her hatred. No, he was absorbing it drinking from it like it was an oasis in the desert. And it was doing nothing.

Any normal human would have been driven mad with rage several times over. But, Naruto never was normal, she could not corrupt him. But he could infect her. Already the part of her that loved him was struggling against the bonds of hatred. Pushing the hatred towards Naruto trying to desperately get rid of it all.

Even as a tide of hatred washed down upon him Naruto remained pure. His emotions pure and unmarked. He wasn't just absorbing her hatred, he was removing, cleansing, destroying, eradicating… purifying it so that only the root emotions remained.

Pangs of loss, sorrow, and regret flooded her as the flames of her rage died down revealing the burnt reality hidden beneath.

"I will not be controlled again!" Kurama roared thrashing against the chains pulling her hatred inward and upward escalating it to a mountain of rage.

Naruto's eyes opened his blue eyes were pure and full of purpose. And he smiled at her like he was going to help her. Like she was some pathetic whelp that needed his help. She didn't need him. She didn't need anybody! Not Naruto, not her brothers and sisters. And Not her father. She was better off alone.

Naruto pulled at her chakra with her own, stripped of the advantage her hatred had given her she could do nothing but attempt to swipe at Naruto. He retaliated with force. That part of her that had once been buried under the flames of rage was leaking out. As his every action and motion memorized her.

He had gotten strong, and she desired it.

She was fighting a losing battle against Naruto and a losing battle against her emotions.

In the end, Naruto won, taking her chakra as his own and sealing her with a familiar power.

"So now what?" She barked out, more a wheeze than a snarl. He once burning rage now a glacier of cold hatred. "You use me just like all the others did?"

"Nope," Naruto said calmly.

Fucking what?

He scratched the back of his head nervously as he turned to face her. He was up to something. Something that she didn't trust. "You know, for a while I hated you. I hated what you did to me and I hated you for tricking me."

"The feeling is mutual."

Naruto gave her a laugh, just like the laughs she got when she tried to tell a joke or said something that wasn't quite human enough. And he smiled at her just like he used to. She could feel her heartbeat quicken again.

Why, why did he have so much power over her?

"Yeah, well. I forgave Nagato for killing Jiraiya. And I forgave the villagers. So I can forgive you too, for… well for everything I guess." He turned away from her placing a hand on his stomach and twisting on the seal.

The bindings loosened. And the gate opened. She… she had freedom? "You're setting me free? After all that?"

"I'm giving you a choice Kyuubi." Naruto looked back at her over his shoulders, his expression was grim. "I'm going to go fight the Masked man and help the others in the war. I can feel them now, can't you? They're fighting to protect us. And they're losing. So what do you say?"

"But how can you forgive me?" Kurama asked stepping out from the seal for the first time. They were still connected, her chakra and his were still bound by a myriad of seals and Jutsu. But she could leave if she wanted to. "I killed your parents. Nobody controlled me when I did that I did it to stop myself from being sealed.

"Even if Shuujin was a lie, she is still you in a way. So it'd be kind of bad if I couldn't forgive somebody I loved."

Warmth spread through her, cracking her icy hatred with a thunderous snap, allowing its purified glacial waters to spread across her entire being, bringing life to regions once incinerated to ashes.

Naruto loved her. There was no way she misheard that. Love like in the books she had read. Love like she had spent months fantasizing about. Her heart beat loud and quickly as hope and desire sprung forth.

She ran forward towards him, stumbling as he front paws turned into hands, her form diminishing with every step. Her massive footfalls turning into pitter-patter on the floor of the seals.

Her arms wrapped around Naruto and she pressed her head into his back fresh tears pouring from her eyes. If it was possible her heartbeat grew even faster. She was touching Naruto with no numbing pain from the seal. Nothing separated her and him but his jacket.

"I don't want to be the Kyuubi." She choked out squeezing Naruto tighter. "I want to be like this, with you. Can I be what I want? That's okay, right? That I want this. That I want you?"

Naruto brought her hands up to hers and stroked them lightly. "Shuujin,"

"Kurama!" She corrected, her heart beat faster than she could feel, everything was tingling in a way she didn't know was possible. "My name is Kurama, I made Shuujin up."

"Kurama," Naruto began again, she could hear the smile in his voice as he tested her name.

To hear him say it was almost too much. "Please, please say that we can do this. It's okay right? Yes, it started out as a trick, but instead of making you fall in love with me. I fell in love with you. There I said it, I love you so, please. Please say that we can be together."

Did she really just say all that? Was all the anger and hatred she had felt for the past few months gone just like that? She couldn't believe her her own words even if they felt so right.

Naruto laughed turning around in her arms and pushing her away to look her in the eyes. It was so strange to have to look up to him. But like everything else in this moment it just felt right. "My mom was right ya know?"

He did that on purpose.

Scrunching her nose at him, her arms fell to the side. "What does Kushina have to do with this."

"Well, she was watching you the whole time." Kurama's eyes went wide, as she stared up at Naruto, his infectious smile causing one of her own to grow. "She says you're a really good painter by the way."

He pulled her in close holding her just like how she had painted, a lovers embrace that made her entire body tremble with delight. "I just painted the things I really wanted, like being human, being free and being with you." The words were little more than a whisper as she melted into Naruto

"They're still fighting out there right now." Naruto's whispers sent a shiver up her spine even as they separated. "We can talk about this after we save everybody alright."

"Fine," Kurama pushed him back and walked back behind the seal, she made certain to sway her hips with each step, feeling Naruto's eyes on her. She manifested all of her strength and sent it towards Naruto, channeling it towards him even as she gathered more. Her chakra felt different; like it was filled with life and purpose. Much better than hatred. "Let's show the world what you can do when your girlfriend is the Kyuubi."

 **AN: I know I cut a lot of the fight out. But like... I don't like to write action. The original draft of this chapter had Kurama remaining as a fox for the final act. but this felt right. Like after two and half chapters of suffering, I needed to write a bit of fluff into it.**

 **Anyways special announcement time, I'm going to be writing a bonus chapter to for Finding an Alpha's one year anniversary. It'll be like pure fluff to.**


	10. The Reality

Kurama was truly happy, The truth was out there, and everything that she was and wanted to be was out in the open. And Naruto accepted it. Even as they fought through hordes of undying ninja, her own brothers and sisters her smile refused to vanish and her glee spread into her every action.

Beyond all that, he had done it. Naruto -along with that bastard of an Uchiha- had once again sealed the mother of chakra way. This time for good. All that was left was for the dead to depart, and to do the Jutsu that held the world captive.

She stood side by side with her fellow Bijuu, looking down at the humans that saved them, and at their father. She was in her fox form, feeling both at home and alien in it. Reality wasn't as simple as within the seal, she couldn't change her form out here.

"To undo the Jutsu, you two must form the seal of unity." Her father said in a reverent tone, it felt so weird to see him outside of her memories again, even if he was just a specter. "Now then, I believe that it is time for the dead to depart."

Kurama swallowed, this was her chance, but could she really do this? What would it mean if she did? What would her brothers and sisters think? Did it even matter? She had Naruto! "Wait, umm father."

Her Father's eyes snapped towards her a gentle smile on her face. "I won't be able to stay much longer Kurama, you know this."

"That's not what I wanted," Her ears fell flat against her head, thankful that her fur would hide any would be blush that was forming. This was going to be difficult. With a breath that filled her lungs, she whispered. "Is there a way for me to become human?"

Only the sound of the wind sweeping past them could be heard as every creature; Human, Biju, and Ghost stared at her in stunned silenced. Although Naruto looked up at her, his smile all the reassurance she needed.

Thankfully it was her father that spoke first, his eyes were serious but he had a kind fatherly smile on his face. "Do you understand what it means to be human."

"I can learn" She had some idea of what it meant to be human, if it was anything like what Naruto had shown her, then it was a worthwhile experience. There was so much in the books she wanted to experience with Naruto that she couldn't do as a Biju.

"I see," The smile vanished and a deep frown appeared on her Father's face. "And are you aware of what you would be giving up?"

Kurama paused a moment, What would she be giving up? A single look at Naruto gave her her answer. It didn't matter what she would be giving up. "It would be worth the price."

"Ooooh, Kurama's in wuv!" Shukaku's grating voice like the scrapping of a chalkboard echoed throughout the field, followed quickly by his screeching laughter.

"Silence you flee bag, Kurama is free to choose his own path, no matter what it is." Nibi defended, despite being smaller than Shukaku, she was able to silence him with a single paw. "As are we all."

Kurama ignored that most of her family likely thought that she was still a male, and pressed on to her father. "So there is a way yes?" She shifted on her paws unable to contain the excitement that was building within. She wanted to be able to do all the things she had dreamed of doing with Naruto, in the flesh, as a human.

"Yes, there is a way, Naruto and Sasuke must simply form the transformation seal after they release everybody else, from there you should be able to create a new body for yourself."

Her father faded into spirit world, taking those brought back with him.

Then her hopes were shattered as she saw that Uchiha brats infernal eye staring at her. His betrayal and play for power did not come as a surprise.

XXXX

When words fail, there is was one tried and true method that had served Naruto well throughout his years. Jiraiya had once joked that he had the uncanny ability to literally knock some sense into people, despite not having any sense himself. Given his list of foes-turned-friends, it was rather hard to dispute that there might actually be something there. Some random ability that only manifested when he punched people who he saw as himself.

It worked with Haku, Gaara, Tsunade, Pein, Obito, Neji. The list was a long one, chief among them was Kurama, who he had once hated with all his heart. But now he could easily say he loved her. Beating the tar out of her was how he got a girlfriend, shame he never punched Sakura when they were younger.

But there was one person that stubbornly refused to be put on the list. The one person on his Friend turned foe list. His ultimate failure, and the person he saw himself as the most. Looking at Sasuke was like looking at another path his life could have taken. One filled with rage and regret, a stubborn pragmatism that walked the line between right and walk like it was a drunken dance.

That was why when he and Sasuke finally fought, he did not hold back. Every punch, kick, jutsu… every moment of that encounter was filled with his hopes and dreams of the future. Sasuke fought to sever their bond and become the darkness. He fought for that bond and the balance it represented and the peace that could be gained for that.

Beyond that, at the core of every punch and kick was the simple truth. Sasuke was his friend. He had almost given up on Kurama when she fell into rage and despair. He would not make that mistake again.

With every blow carrying the fate of the world with it, Naruto refused to give up. Though, in the back of his mind, he was aware that his love life was also on the line - mostly because of Kurama shouting profanities at Sasuke every chance she got.

After minutes of beating each other senseless, things like, style, skill, and chakra had long been discarded. The final blow came. The Rasengan and the Chidori. Naruto and Sasuke. Tyranny and Freedom. Fear and Hope. Everything

In the end, Naruto could claim that he won, as Sasuke returned as his friend. Though their fight cost them each an arm.

"You are aware that he's the nine-tailed fox right?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow, moments after they had released the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Despite his protest, he formed his hand into his half of the transformation seal. "If she eats you I'm going through with my plan."

Naruto smiled and rolled his eyes. Listening to Kurama shouting various profanities towards Sasuke. "She says that she'll kill you in your sleep."

"Kinky, want to trade? Sakura for the Kyuubi?" He was joking. He had to be joking right?

"You know I can probably punch you to the moon right?" Sakura interjected as she stood close to Sasuke. "And who said I'm yours to trade anyways?"

"Can we just do this already? Kurama is getting impatient." Naruto brought his hand up to Sasuke's and the seal was formed. With the last of their strength from the Sage of Sixths paths funneling between them the jutsu activated.

"Or are you?" Why couldn't Sasuke lose his mouth instead of his arm?

With whatever strength Kurama had gathered she began to channel it into the jutsu. It started slowly as a red mist that formed in front of them, swirling around in violent fits, sparking like a bloody thunderstorm.

"Naruto," Kurama's voice echoed in his mind thick with exhaustion. "I need you to guide the jutsu, I can't stay awake much longer."

"But, what about your body? Don't you want to be the one to,"

"I trust you," She spoke with a simple honesty. "You know how I wish to look like, create me, create Shuujin." He heard a yawn that made his heart flutter, already seeing Kurama lay down to sleep in her human form to take a nap in his head.

Slowly he guided the mist, giving it shape, form, color, and life. Every detail of the woman he fell in love with was coming to life before his very eyes.

"You're creating your own girlfriend," Sasuke's smirk nearly interrupted his concentration. "That's like a virgins ultimate fantasy."

"Like you had sex with your dick shoved so far up your own ass." Naruto shot back as he carefully got Kurama's ears just right.

"I'll surgically remove it later, I'm going to need it later," Sakura said from the rock she was laying down on watching the mist was a morbid curiosity. "Are you sure she didn't have a tail, or fox ears at least? She'd probably look cuter if she had some."

"Maybe some decent claws and fangs to fight with." if Sakura's comment about Sasuke's penis had any effect he didn't show it.

"Can you two shut up it's hard to concentrate!" Naruto growled, this was taking up far too much of his mental processes and he hadn't slept in like days.

Then his sensei spoke up with true words of wisdom. "You could make her boobs bigger."

XXXX

Kurama fought against the tendrils of sleep that clung to her mind as she slowly became aware of her existence. She was hungry, hungrier than she'd ever been before like she hadn't ever eaten anything. Her arms felt tired, and the prickling of the blanket aggravated her skin. Where the blanket did cover she was too hot, where it did not she was too cold.

Every single cell of her body was complaining loudly about one thing or another.

Her eyes shot open wide only to close again against the ungodly light of the sun. Her body. It was her body. She had a body, a living human body, not the fake one made of chakra that she could wear within the seal.

She opened her eyes again, the room coming into a crisp focus as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. It was a clean room, freshly painted and clean, a hospital room if her books were anything to believe. It wasn't the sun that had blinded her but the light from the pale moon leaking into her room.

Then the room faded away as she saw him. Naruto, he lay with his head on her bed soft snores sounding like a summer breeze echoed from his mouth. Her heartbeat was like an army a thousand strong playing their drums of war.

She tried to speak but her tongue was still new and couldn't form the words; it flopped uselessly in her mouth as she tried to say his name, all that came out was a gargled puff of air as he throat was dry. She tried to reach out to him, but her muscles twitched wildly.

Her body was new, it would take time to adjust. Carefully, she lifted her arm and guided it, inch by painful inch to Naruto. She touched him by flopped her hand onto his face with the softest, most gentle slap ever conceived. She liked the feel of his skin.

Why wasn't he in bed with her right now? Holding her like lovers did, in that sweet embrace, she had read about many times.

"Naruto." She managed to say his name at last as she pushed her weary arms hard against his head to wake him up.

His blue eyes met hers. And then he smiled and her new heart skipped a beat. "Hey, you're awake."

She managed to nod her head yes.

"Sakura said I should let you sleep, that your body is still new and getting used to itself." Naruto took her hand and placed his lips to her palm, sending a wave of fire throughout her entire body as she felt a bizarre and incredibly pleasant tingle. "So rest up okay? I'll be here."

"Hold me?" She whispered out, her lips twitching into a smile.

Her body screamed as Naruto climbed in beside her in both pain and pleasure as her new nerves felt human contact for the first time. Or was it that this was her first time feeling Naruto that made her feel like this. At peace like this was where she had always belonged.

"I love you," He whispered into her ear.

"I…" the word failed her, either because of her tongue or because of her mind still processing this as reality she did not know. "Me too."

 **AN: I'm sleepy! Anyways. I totally didn't write and edit this in one night after a late night of work. Actually wait I did.**

 **To address a few things. Yes, I skipped all that annoying war stuff. Because you know... fuck writing fights and war in general. And three we're like at the point where I normally end a fic, but like I'm not going to end it here because I want to have some fun with Kurama being human.**

 **And also, now I want to write a SasuSaku fics where the two act like they did in the middle of this chapter, that'd be fun.**

 **And no I won't tell you Kurama's cup size, use your imagination or something.**


	11. The Firsts

The peace that was waking up next to Naruto was unlike anything Kurama had ever felt before. There was no conflict, no strife. Just Naruto's arm holding her as she slept. It was more than she could have asked for. She smiled as she snuggled back into Naruto's chest.

Her first day as a human could wait just a few more minutes.

For what seemed like a blissful eternity she lay there just feeling Naruto's rhythmic breaths. Everything felt so much more detailed than when she was a fox. The warmth of Naruto felt warmer, the coldness of her toes un sheltered by the blanket felt colder. And the sensation of Naruto touching her was amazing.

It was like somebody had taken her body out of a glove for the first time to feel everything. Even the smells somehow smelled smellier, the sounds crisper. All of her senses flared with new and wonderful sensations as they were no longer muted by being the Kyuubi.

Naruto finally stirred and squeezed her tighter against him, his hands sending a thunderstorm of tingles along her spine with each motion. He pressed his lips to the top of her head planting a soft kiss among her hair. "Good mornin' Kurama."

The way he said her name with such love and warmth in it made her heart flutter and smile grow. But he wasn't going to get off that easy, there were many firsts she wanted today. The first of which she could be taking right now.

With no warning or hesitation, she pulled herself up to kiss Naruto. For a moment they sat there with their lips touching. Where were the fire works? This was sweet but it felt lacking, all the books she read said that a kiss with someone she loved was supposed to be amazing.

Then Naruto began to move kissing her back. Hormones flooded through her body like wildfire igniting every nerve of her body causing her to squirm. She started to move to it was awkward at first then she matched him and the pleasure was doubled.

The books were wrong. There were no fireworks going off in her head. It was more a raging river whose shores were scorched with fire.

Naruto pushed her back flipping on top of her as he continued to suck on her lips like a wild animal kept from food for far too long. He held her arms to the bed above her head. This assertive side of Naruto was driving her wild.

When at last they parted a bit of drool connecting them still, they stared at each other mouths still slightly agape, and eyes wide with amazement. Naruto swallowed looking ready to kiss her again at any moment.

"Hi." her word was little more than a breath lost in the tangled heat between them. Her lips tingled with the excitement that was her first kiss, eagerly awaiting the next one and the next one.

The second kiss was much slower than the first every movement measured as they explored and learned the other. A promise of more kisses to come.

"I can't believe this is real," Kurama muttered sometime between their fourth and fifth kisses. She could get used to her life being measured in kisses. She was human something she never thought was possible, she no lung acted as a sink well of hatred gorging on despair and misery and compounding it within her.

Naruto brought a hand up to her cheek and caressed it. She nuzzled into his palm and stared up at him, just enjoying finally being so close to Naruto. He felt the same, she could see it in his eyes, feel it in his touch, hear it on his breath. "You're so beautiful."

"I am?" Kurama squirmed under his loving look a blush coming onto her face. It was her first time being called beautiful, she didn't even know what she looked like. What did she look like? She told naruto she wanted to look like Shuujin, but did he follow through? "Is there a mirror? I want to see what I look like."

Naruto nodded and slide of the bed allowing the chill morning air to crash into Kurama full force. Goose bumps broke out on her body for the first time. It only made her longing for Naruto's warmth all the more potent.

"Sakura thought you might want to see what you look like, so she brought this mirror in." Naruto held his hand out towards her while he pointed at the full body mirror leaning against the wall. She recognized the name as one of Naruto's friend, and one of the few people that knew who she really was.

Kurama took Naruto's hand and her bare feet hit the cold hard floor that was slightly slick, like ice that wasn't wet. Frozen foot fall after frozen foot fall Kurama held her breath until at long last she saw herself for the first time.

There standing in the mirror, dressed in hospital ground of no particular color, was herself. The reflection was simply her, there was no other way to describe it. She had her long shining hair that was her favorite color of red, her large sharp eyes were a brilliant shade of green, everything was her from the shape of her pinkie to the nape of her neck.

Tears welled from her eyes. This, this was her. Pure and simple. She choked back a sob as she refused to so much as even blink. "Thank you, Naruto."

Her knees buckled and she began to fall, only for Naruto to catch her. He guided her back to standing his arm both supporting and protecting her. "For what?"

"For everything." She whispered staring at their reflection now. She didn't know that something had been missing until she saw the whole picture.

XXXX

Naruto sat patiently for Kurama to exit the changing room. The moment Sakura had discovered that they were awake she had whisked his still confused girlfriend off into parts unknown for proper feminine… stuff.

Which is far as he could tell included shopping, shopping, and more shopping. Still, he couldn't help but smile, Kurama was at least pretending to get along with Sakura - In that, he hadn't heard Kurama threatening Sakura with fire and brimstone and that the store was actually still standing.

"What? No! I'm not going out there in this!" Kurama's voice came from behind a curtain. It was still rather amazing how fast Konoha had rebuilt itself after Pein's attack, and with having a giant tree grow out of nowhere and wreck a few things.

"Oh come on you look amazing, don't you want to impress Naruto?" Sakura's voice chided, and a few moments later a pair of feet appeared below the door. Kurama was still barefoot.

"Well yes but I-" Kurama was cut off as she was shoved out from the curtain directly in front of Naruto. She caught her balance before she fell onto the ground with her arms out stretched. She had on a white sundress with red flowers that showed off her curves. A pair of red framed glasses adorned her face.

Naruto felt his heart skip a beat as Kurama's lovely verdant green eyes blinked at him behind the glasses. How on earth was it possible for somebody to be so beautiful, sexy, and adorable all at once.

"I umm," Kurama stammered a blush growing on her face. Flailing her arms she struck a sexy pose with one arm behind her head and another extended towards him as she stuck her chest out towards him, exposing a bit of her porcelain cleavage. She winked painfully slow at him. "Hey there… Hot stuff."

"You know for an ancient Demon you sure are great acting like an awkward shut in." Sakura laughed from the curtain.

Naruto ignored her, his eyes were glued on Kurama and only Kurama. He wasn't even aware he stood up until he had his hand around Kurama's waste and he had pulled her into another kiss. Her lips were addictive, no worse than that, it was like he had gone his entire life without breathing only to discover how much he needed to breathe. When they parted her blush was gone and she had one hand gripping his shirt tightly. "You don't have to flirt with me, I already told you I love you."

Kurama sighed and pressed her forehead into his chest. "Yea, but I want to do stuff like the books, So I'm going to flirt with you and you're going to like it."

"Well, my job's done here, Naruto she has two bags of clothes that you'll need to pay for and take home." Sakura walked out of the room with a satisfied smile on her face. "Now to go find Sasuke."

Naruto looked at the bags and felt his wallet growing lighter by the moment. A kiss on his jaw from Kurama made it all worth it.

"Do you want to get Ramen?" She whispered into his ear, making his body feel hot from sexual tension. "I'll try to feed it to you."

Naruto kissed her again, harder and longer than before. "Is it too soon for me to ask you to marry me?"

Kurama smiled, tracing her fingers along his jaw as she grabbed one of the bags of clothes. "No, but I do want a ring, and for you to do it some place fancy, not in a clothing store."

 **AN: I ended up cutting a scene where Sakura and Tsunade did doctor stuff to Kurama and they gave her glasses because she's farsighted... She kept the glasses because a good pair of glasses makes everybody sexier. Anyways, this series is like in pure fluff mode now. Now I just need to like... decide if I want to do a wedding or, call it good here.  
**  
 **Thanks for reading! Check out my other shit too! (Preferably Head Space!)**

 **Also send me a PM for an interesting idea for a romance fic if you got one. (An actual PM not a review)**


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